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by aelover867



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-11
Updated: 2014-05-17
Packaged: 2018-01-24 10:24:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1601453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelover867/pseuds/aelover867
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a hiccup as Killian and Emma try to return home from the Enchanted Forest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by a picture I saw on Tumblr which was Killian and Emma hugging like Rapunzel and Flynn Rider did at the end of Tangled. I thought about what could've been happening then and it kind of just got crazy and became something more. This is based at the end of the finale, when they return to Storybrooke. I do not expect it to go this way, but I just had to write it. I may write another chapter later, when my muse has returned because right now it's spent :P
> 
> Please enjoy and review!

In front of Emma’s eyes, she could see her parents shuffle around awkwardly as they talked on the troll bridge. She admired her mother’s feistiness against the trolls and Emma immediately knew where she had gotten it from. After interrupting their first meeting, Rumplestiltskin had appeared (and Emma had finally realized why Killian had always called him the Crocodile) and told them that they had to fix what they had done, before everything changed. Emma didn’t want to think of what would’ve changed, but she knew that it probably would’ve included Emma ceasing to exist. And that would’ve been a no-go for Emma, especially when she was finally realizing what she was so densely ignoring for the past few weeks, ever since Killian had returned her and Henry to Storybrooke.

Killian smirked while he was crouched right beside Emma, behind bushes so Charming and Snow couldn’t see the two of them. He was having just as much fun as Emma was at looking at the awkward first stages of true love. The way that Charming and Snow interacted with each other reminded Emma so much of how you would be around your first crush: blushing deeply, hardly meeting their eyes, stumbling over their words. Emma _loved_ that their love began the same way many loves began.

“David isn’t quite so charming right now, is he?” Killian asked under his breath and Emma chuckled silently. “This is almost hard to watch.”

“Shut up, Hook,” Emma whispered back as she elbowed Killian in the side.

Killian chuckled under his breath as his gaze turned back to watching Emma’s parents begin to fall in love. Emma knew that their mission was finished, but she didn’t want to move from behind the bushes. Moving meant that they had to find their way back to Storybrooke, and that meant that she was going to be leaving soon to go back to New York with Henry. Emma noticed Killian stiffen beside her, the same thoughts probably going through his mind. During this entire trip into the past, Killian had been trying tooth and nail to convince Emma to stay in Storybrooke, that Storybrooke was her true home. But, she couldn’t do that. Henry had his own life in New York and she couldn’t ignore that fact.

Even though Emma knew that she wanted to go back to New York more for herself.

She had been searching for a home for as long as she could remember and New York fit the bill for her. Sort of. Maybe. Okay, fine. New York may not entirely be what she wanted in a home, but Henry had friends there and Emma had a job. She belonged in New York. Storybrooke was filled with fairytale characters that Emma couldn’t even compare to. Emma didn’t fit in in Storybrooke; in New York, it’s big enough where you can slide in without a second glance from anybody.

But, even though Emma didn’t want to admit it, she was having a harder time finding reasons to leave the longer she was with Killian. He was by her side unwaveringly. He traveled across _realms_ for her and saved her from a life that was built on lies. He was _always_ there. He always would be there for her, Emma knew that for sure. Every time he looked at her, Emma could just see the adoration and admiration pouring from his ocean-blue eyes. The very same ocean-blue eyes that Emma found herself dreaming of every night since he first came to her in New York. He looked at her like a blind man looking at a sunset for the very first time and Emma couldn’t hide the fact that she _loved that_. She wanted to bask in that thought for years and years to come, but she was positive that one day, those looks would stop.

That’s what kept her from wanting to make a future in Storybrooke.

The fear that one day, Killian would realize that she wasn’t worth it. That she was never worth it.

“We should go,” Emma found herself whispering, long after Charming and Snow left the bridge behind. She hated how her emotions had laced their way into her voice.

Killian glanced over at her after a long moment, and nodded. “Alright. Let’s try to get home.”

That’s what Emma had been searching for since her very first foster home and she still had no idea where it was. Was it with her family in Storybrooke? Or with just her and Henry in New York? Emma knew that Killian was hoping that she’d change her mind, and she thought she saw a pleading look from him before he turned away to stand from behind the bushes. Killian offered his hand to Emma and she took it willingly, _so easily_. Their hands wrapped together so effortlessly that it gave Emma a second thought about leaving Storybrooke. Something about the small touch made Emma think again, even though they had touched plenty in the Enchanted Forest (they danced together, _for God’s sake_ ). But there was something about the simple offering of a hand that had Emma torn in her mind.

Emma picked up her skirt as they began walking through the dense forest. Her skirt still got snagged on a few branches here and there, leaving a few holes in the beige, raggedy dress. Killian kept ahold of her hand, helping her over fallen trees and mud from a recent storm. Her hand began to feel electric under his touch, and Emma tried- _really tried_ -to ignore how it made her feel. Maybe she was just hungry or something from their long day in the woods. There’s no way that she was actually feeling that. She ignored those feelings and they always melted away. But the closer they got to the road to head back to town, the stronger the electricity in her hand felt.

Killian froze in his tracks, his hand tightening around Emma’s. Emma looked up at him and was about to ask him about why he stopped, but he quickly held his false hand up to his lips, as if he was telling her to be silent. Emma did as he asked, noticing how he was stiff and alert. His gaze was shooting all around the forest that surrounded them, but all Emma could hear was the pounding of her heart. She knew that the Enchanted Forest was filled to the brim with bandits and animals and she feared that they had become the hunted.

Killian leaned his mouth to Emma’s ear and Emma’s skin exploded with heat as she felt his breath on her neck. “Do you still have that dagger, love?”

Emma nodded, remembering how Killian had swiftly dispatched a few of Regina’s- _The Evil Queen’s,_ Emma mentally corrected herself-soldiers and how he had told her to take the dagger one of the soldiers was holding.

“You’re going to have to use it,” Killian warned her and he noticed how Emma had stiffened in worry. He stroked his thumb over Emma’s hand that he continued to hold and Emma began to feel relaxed. It was strange to her how the most subtle of things that Killian did could change everything that Emma was feeling. “Just do as I say and watch out.”

“What’s happening?” Emma asked, not being able to retain her curiosity anymore.

Before Killian even returned an answer, a leather clad man appeared from behind a wide tree. As soon as she saw the leather, she was afraid that it was the _other_ Hook who had returned for some vengeance, because he seemed to be full of it back in these days. But Emma’s eyes fell on the unfamiliar face of the man in front of her and Killian and she breathed in relief. If it was the other Hook, there was no way either of them would be leaving alive. Well, Killian wouldn’t be leaving alive. Emma feared what would happen to her.

Emma’s eyes darted to the right and to the left of them, noticing two other men making themselves known. She knew now that they were dealing with bandits, and now Emma had really _no idea_ what to do. But, it seemed to Emma that Killian was prepared enough for the both of them, stepping in front of Emma, as if to protect her. Emma’s heart pounded harder than it had before, thinking of Killian sacrificing himself to protect her. She felt a sob wanting to build in her throat at just the thought of losing him. There, she realized her feelings for him ran much deeper than she had realized. They ran much deeper than she thought they did after saving him from drowning.

“Give us what you have and the girl and nobody gets hurt, mate,” The man in front of Killian and Emma announced loudly, his hand twisting around the handle of a broadsword.

“Not bloody likely, _mate_ ,” Killian spat out, drawing his sword from the scabbard at his hip.

The man, clearly the leader of the gang, let out a low laugh. “Are you sure you want to do that? No lady is worth dying for.”

“Then you clearly have never been in love,” Killian responded back and Emma stilled. “Just continue on so I won’t have to kill you.”

He was _in love_ with her? No, that was impossible. Nobody was ever _in love_ with Emma Swan. Maybe in lust, but never in love. Killian must be confusing the two or something, right? But, Emma then remembered that he had lived three hundred years, most of which were spent searching for revenge again Rumplestiltskin because of Milah. Oh, Killian _definitely_ knew what love felt like and Emma was sure that he knew exactly what he was saying.

The man laughed again, taking a few steps toward Killian and Emma. Killian reached his fake hand back to Emma, beckoning her to move back.

“How adorable,” The man taunted, an evil leer spreading on his face. Emma now noticed how a long scar stretched from the left corner of his forehead down to his right cheek. Damn, he even looked like a bandit. “Well, I guess you’ll die protecting your _love._ ” The bandit said the word like it left a bad taste in his mouth. “And after you’re dead, well, we’ll get to have all of the fun with the girl, won’t we?”

Emma could see Killian practically vibrating with rage. He turned his head an inch as he remained crouched, prepared for attack, and whispered to Emma, “Get your dagger.”

Emma reached under her pale blue cloak and grabbed the dagger that was wedged in the belt around her dress. Emma slowly brought it out and she knew that both men on the sides had noticed the dagger. One man looked prepared for a fight, leering at her in a way that made her vastly uncomfortable, while the other man looked hardly a man at all with his baby face.

“She’s much feistier than she looks, lad,” Killian drawled, shifting his hold on his sword. “Don’t let her looks fool you.”

And of course Killian would start bluffing. Emma had _no_ idea how to wield a dagger and how to even fight with a weapon like this. But Emma then remembered that her old fucking job taught her how to fight with her hands, and hell, it shouldn’t be too difficult to use a dagger, right?

The lead bandit sneered at Killian, his almost black eyes narrowing as he crouched with his sword raised. “I hope the lady has no qualms of me killing you. If I have to listen to her cry afterwards, it won’t be as fun when I share her with the boys.”

Killian’s grip tightened on the sword and soon, the bandit made the first move and their swords met in the air, the sound filling the forest. Emma looked to her right, where the baby-faced man had run off into the forest, making her smile. But soon, she twisted around to see the other man making his way over to her, that leer still plastered on his face. And how Emma _so_ wanted to wipe that look off of his fucking face.

Emma swiped the dagger at the man, who had dodged it easily by leaning back. Emma realized that he must’ve fought many times before and that she probably had the lower hand in the fight. The man swung a punch, but since Emma had done this plenty of times too with bail-jumpers, she ducked swiftly, switching the dagger into her left hand, and threw a right hook into the man’s gut. He groaned as he held his stomach, then his leer intensified as he grabbed ahold of Emma’s arm as it continued to retract. Before the man could pull her into him, Emma kicked his knee, which made him release her in pain. Emma smiled as she gleefully thought that she was totally, _definitely_ winning this fight.

But she turned her head and saw Killian continuing to fight the bandit, leading her to worry about the outcome of his fight. The bandit swung the sword at Killian, who deftly dodged the swipe by leaning back and raised his own sword to push away the bandit’s blade. She was so entranced by graceful Killian was that she hadn’t noticed her own opponent gathering his strength from behind her and he wrapped his arms around Emma from behind, pulling her tight so that she couldn’t move. Emma struggled against his arms, her hands trying to wrench him off of her.

“Looks like she wasn’t as feisty as you said,” The man behind her cackled, the awfulness of his breath making Emma nearly gag.

When Killian looked at Emma, Emma could see the despair in his eyes. He was terrified, just as she was. He was distracted enough that his opponent, who had somehow ended up on the ground, got up and fished out a dagger from his belt.

“Killian!” Emma shouted at him, which shook him from his thoughts and swiftly dodge the bandit’s stab at him.

Emma squeezed her hands on the man’s arm and put all of her weight into him. She pushed her hips against the man, throwing all of her weight against him, and skillfully threw him over her shoulders. He landed with a loud _thud_ on the ground and groaned as Emma grabbed her dagger from where it fell on the ground. Emma kneeled beside the man’s head as he looked at her, that leer seemingly permanent on his face, grabbed his head in both of her hands and slammed it as hard as she could into the hard ground.

“Emma, run!” Killian shouted at her as he dodged another swipe from the bandit’s sword.

“I’m not leaving without you!” Emma shouted back before she even realized what she said.

That seemed to give Killian the strength to somehow swipe the sword and dagger from the bandit’s hands and hit him in the temple with the blunt end of Killian’s sword. The bandit fell to the damp forest ground and Killian ran back to Emma, grabbing her hand after he sheathed his sword and running through the forest before either of the bandits awaken.

It seemed to be forever before Killian and Emma stopped running, both utterly out of breath. Emma leaned over a tree, her hand scraping against the bark, and Killian collapsed on the opposite side of the tree, trying to regain his breath. Emma looked over at him and saw Killian hold his left side with his fake hand. Emma furrowed her eyebrows as she saw Killian move the hand to look and saw blood on the glove.

No. No. _No._

“Killian!” Emma nearly shouted in panic as she rushed over to his side, placing her hand where the wound was bleeding steadily. She could feel the warm blood trickling out of his side and through her hands and onto the forest floor. “No, please no. Oh God, no.”

Killian’s face grimaced in pain and he tried to smile for her. “Well, I’ve lived for over three hundred years. Maybe it isn’t so sad, Swan.”

Emma shook her head rapidly, feeling the tears build behind her eyes. “No. No. You aren’t gonna die. You’ll be okay, Killian.”

“Emma,” Killian said, his voice weakening. And that’s what made Emma begin crying. She could feel the tears trail down her dirty cheeks and she sniffled loudly in the empty woods. “Emma, look at me.”

Emma shook her head wildly again and she sniffled more, the tears falling steadily from her eyes now. He can’t die. She can’t even think of living without him. He needs to be here. He has always needed to be here. These same thoughts crossed Emma’s mind when she saved him from Zelena, but she never realized the true emotions behind them. Emma literally _couldn’t_ imagine life without Killian by her side. She didn’t know why or _how_ she hadn’t seen that before because _it was always right there_. Every time he looked at her with that smile in his eyes, she could see it. But, she was blind until now. Until he was literally dying in her arms.

Emma couldn’t live without him. She already knew that. But now she realized why she thought that. Before, she had thought because she just really cared for him. But now, Emma _knew_ that she was deeply in love with Killian Jones. She was head over heels in love with him, more than Emma had ever been with anybody, even Neal. And now, Killian was going to die.

“ _Emma_ , look at me,” Killian urged her again, his voice weakening even more.

Emma gulped as she met Killian’s eyes, still that striking ocean-blue. His face was paling- _oh God, he’s going to die_ -but he smiled at her. Even on the verge of death, Killian found a way to assure Emma. Emma began crying harder, hoping that she wasn’t having those stupid snot bubbles. She didn’t want Killian’s last look at her to be of snot bubbles and her ugly crying face. Killian lifted his hand and stroked Emma’s cheek. Emma shut her eyes at the feel of it and pressed her cheek into it. She opened her eyes again after savoring the moment and saw the tears building in Killian’s eyes.

“Killian,” Emma whispered to him, love laced in her voice.

Since he was dying, Emma had decided to give him-or her-something to remember each other by. She leaned down and brushed her lips against his, pressing a soft kiss onto his lips. Emma heard Killian sigh and he opened his mouth to invite her in. Emma took his bottom lip in between hers and pressed down onto his lips harder, as if she was trying to save him by just kissing him. She wanted to pull the death from him and make it leave Killian, but she knew it wouldn’t work that way. So she kissed him forcefully, allowing herself to moan quietly into his mouth because she knew that he needed this just as badly as she did. With that, Killian put his hand behind Emma’s head and pulled her down, pushing her lips against him more. Emma wrenched his mouth open and traced her tongue along Killian’s bottom lip, which led to a loud groan from Killian who sucked Emma’s bottom lip into his mouth, grazing his teeth along it.

In the midst of the kiss, Emma and Killian hadn’t noticed the swirling of wind and the howling as the wind cycled around them faster and faster. It wasn’t until the ground seemed to move that Emma removed herself-admittedly reluctantly-from Killian’s lips as she looked at the magic that was surrounding them. Suddenly, a portal opened from just underneath Killian and Emma and they dropped like rocks. Emma grabbed ahold of Killian tightly, not even caring that his blood was getting onto the dress she was wearing. Killian held on as tightly as he could muster, given that he’s already lost a lot of his blood into the forest. Emma opened her tightly shut eyes to see the familiar surroundings of Storybrooke as they continued to fall from the sky. She recognized downtown Storybrooke, at the main intersection, and she squeezed her eyes shut to prepare for the oncoming impact that was really, _really_ going to hurt.

But somehow, Killian had managed to flip her position as they fell, so he would be the one landed hard on the concrete ground. Emma continued crying soundlessly in the air, knowing that this impact would probably be the one that killed him. Emma kissed his cheek, his forehead, anywhere she could reach as they continued to barrel quickly to the earth. But they suddenly were falling slowly as they reached the last ten feet before the ground.

Emma looked over and saw Regina standing not thirty feet from them, along with everybody else that had been at Granny’s Diner before Killian and Emma had left to go to Zelena’s farm. She recognized her mother’s fearful face as she held her younger brother, Daniel, as they landed safely on the ground. Killian groaned loudly as Emma landed on top of him and Emma moved quickly from him, going back to his side to press her hands on his wound, which was continuing to steadily bleed. Emma saw people begin to move toward her and Killian, but she raised her hand.

“Don’t come any closer!” Emma shouted at them, which made them shuffle uncomfortably.

Emma pulled Killian into her lap, continuing to press on the injury as she could hear gasps and cries coming from the crowd. She clenched her jaw as she tried to slow the bleeding, because that’s exactly what Dr. Whale would need to do before he could even try to treat Killian, but it just wasn’t stopping. Emma could feel the tears come down her face again and she sniffled loudly, not even ashamed that everyone could hear her.

“Killian, come on, stay with me,” Emma said to him as he was slowly closing his eyes. “You’re going to be fine. Dr. Whale should be here soon.”

Emma said the last part loud enough for Regina to hear it and Emma noticed Regina walk back to Ruby and whisper something to her. Emma looked back down at Killian, whose eyes were growing weaker from the blood loss. Emma sniffled again and a sob broke through her as she pressed harder on Killian’s wound.

“Emma,” Killian said softly, his voice just _telling_ her that he’s so close. So close to the edge. So close to never smiling at her or saying his innuendos ever again.

Emma cried as she met his eyes. Those blue eyes were losing their power and Emma couldn’t stand it. She couldn’t let him die. He had to stay. He always stayed for her. Even though she always pushed him away, he was always _there_ , unlike so many other people in her life.

“I love you, Emma Swan,” Killian whispered to her, smiling as much as he could. He wrapped his hand in her hair, savoring the feel of it around his fingers. “I’ve always loved you. And I always will.”

Emma shook her head, a sob building inside of her. “I know, I know. Stay with me, Killian. Please. _Please._ ”

Her voice cracked at the last plea and Killian tried to smile at her again, but the light drained from his eyes and Emma could feel his grip on her hair loosen. Emma released the sob that built inside and let out a bloodcurdling scream into the air. She kept her hand on his wound, which was still pouring blood. She dared to look back at his face, which was still stuck in that last smile he had given her. Emma wept loudly, not even caring about the snot bubbles or her ugly face, because he was _gone_.

Emma slowly moved her hand from his wound, fresh and dried blood still stuck on her hand, and stroked his still warm cheek with the back of her fingers. He was supposed to be here. He was always supposed to be here, right by her side. She had taken advantage of that thought and pushed him away _every single time_. And now he was gone and Emma was utterly and irreparably broken. _Shattered._ She could hear the familiar cry of Henry, who must’ve been somewhere in the crowd. Her heart broke-if that could happen-at the sound and she leaned her head against Killian’s.

“Killian, please come back,” Emma pleaded, even though it was falling on deaf ears. “Please come back to me.”

Emma placed her hand back on his wound, pressing firmly against it as if it would make him whole again and bring him back. Emma began to cry harder again, her entire being shaking against Killian’s dead body. She tightened her arm below him, as if she was still protecting him from falling back. She didn’t care about the ache in her legs. All she cared about was the ache in her heart that will never be the same.

Emma pressed her lips against Killian’s lip, expecting them to move with hers but knowing that they won’t. They never will again and that triggered Emma to sob harder. Her blonde hair fell around them, like curtains trying to create privacy, and she just kept kissing him, wishing that he would just _come back_ like he always did.

Emma heard murmuring from the crowd in front of her and she looked up to see what was going on. And all she saw was white. White that was flowing from _her_ hands. White that hadn’t been there since Emma had saved Killian from drowning yesterday. White that meant that it was her magic, the magic that had been taken from her. The magic surrounded Emma and Killian, an invisible wind whipping Emma and Killian’s hair around them. Emma leaned her head against Killian’s again and pressed a more forceful kiss against his lips, almost willing him to come back because he _always came back._

“Come back to me, Killian,” Emma whispered against his lips. “ _Please_.”

And that’s when she felt it.

She felt the tightening of his hand in her hair. She felt the slow raise of his chest as he took a breath. She felt the smile spread on his lips. And she could nearly feel those cerulean eyes open to look at her.

“Did I ever tell you I’ve got a thing for blondes?” Emma heard Killian ask and Emma brought her head back to look at the dashingly handsome pirate laying in her lap with that panty-dropping smirk.

Emma giggled. “Killian!”

Emma brought herself over into Killian’s lap and pulled him up into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around his neck as she pressed herself against him because she never thought she would be able to again. Killian wasn’t even taken by surprise as he wrapped his left arm around Emma’s waist and pulled her closer to him, his right arm propping them both up from the pavement of the street. Emma could hear him smelling her deeply and could almost hear him smiling again. Emma pulled back and just pushed her lips against Killian’s. Killian kissed Emma back with just as much fervor as Emma had displayed. Emma held Killian’s head in her hands as their lips moved together, fitting together perfectly as they always had.

<> 

“How the hell is he alive?” Regina asked, genuinely curious as her arms crossed over her chest.

Emma shrugged, still in her peasant dress from the Enchanted Forest. She had explained everything that had had happened to them, starting from the moment that they went to Zelena’s farm and ending at the moment that Killian and her had fallen from the sky. Dr. Whale had taken Killian to the hospital, even though Killian had been _completely_ healed, and he decided to keep Killian overnight for observation. Emma couldn’t argue with what Dr. Whale decided on doing; Emma was just as confused as he was.

“And how did you get your magic back?” David asked Emma, standing beside Mary who was still holding Daniel in the hospital waiting room.

Emma shrugged again, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t know.”

“And how did you get back?” Robin chimed in as he walked over and stood behind Regina with his hands in his pockets.

“A portal opened right beneath us,” Emma explained, as she had before. Robin was with Roland during the story, so she didn’t mind repeating it.

“What happened before the portal opened?” Mary asked, furrowing her eyebrows and rocking Daniel. “Like, right before?”

Emma began to blush as she remembered the desperate kiss she had given Killian when she thought he was dying. Regina smirked and let out a wry laugh, alerting David and Mary to look over at her.

“Let me guess,” Regina said, taking a step toward Emma, her heels clacking on the tile floor of the hospital. “You two kissed, didn’t you?”

David and Mary shot their glances over at Emma, who had turned an even deeper red. Mary began to smile while David still looked obviously confused.

“Uh, yeah, we did,” Emma confessed, holding her head high as she met her gaze with Regina.

Regina laughed again, a sound that Emma had never really heard before Robin came into her life. “And that’s why your magic came back.”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Before your magic was taken, I felt something off about Hook,” Regina began and Emma knew exactly what was coming. “But after it was taken, whatever was different about Hook, was gone. I immediately knew that it was some sort of curse, no doubt a present from Zelena. So, obviously whatever curse was on Hook had transferred to you and took away your magic.” Regina smiled that signature, mischievous smile. “And guess what can break all curses?”

Emma gulped and whispered, “True Love’s Kiss.”

“Exactly,” Regina replied, that smile still plastered on her face as she stepped back to lean against Robin. “But, how the hell is he alive?”

Emma was still too dumbstruck by the confirmation that she and Killian were _true love_ , something that she had been chasing all her life. And she was going to just let it go to go back to New York, a place that didn’t even feel like home? God, was she an idiot or what?”

“Magic can’t bring back dead people,” Regina continued with her arms crossed. “That’s a magic _law_. We’ve already learned what happened when you do that.” Regina said the last part in a quiet tone and Mary looked down at her own Daniel, stroking his cheek. “So, what the hell happened?”

“Well, she’s the Savior,” Mary muttered, looking over at Regina. “Maybe her magic can do things that magic normally can’t do. Zelena was able to go to the past, even though that was a magic law.”

“That must be it,” Regina said, looking at Emma with a new look on her face. Was it reverence? Was she impressed?

Emma shook her head, placing her hands on the sides of her head to keep it from exploding. “I’m going to see Killian.”

“Go see your _true love_ ,” Regina teased Emma, and Emma flipped Regina the bird as Emma walked across the waiting room to the room where Killian was lying in his bed, alone.

When Emma stepped in, Killian looked over at her with a wide smile on his face. Emma’s heart warmed at the smile, since she had thought for the longest minute or so of her life that she would never see it again. Emma walked over to Killian with a matching smile and sat on the edge of his bed, by his knees. Emma immediately took his hand into hers and felt the very same electricity she had felt before everything had happened in Fairytale Land.

“Feeling better, love?” Killian asked as he reclined in his bed.

In a hospital bed after being dead and he was worrying about her? Classic Killian.

Emma nodded as she smiled again at him. “Much better.”

Killian looked down at the large bloodstain on Emma’s peasant dress, his eyes darkening at the memory. “You didn’t change.”

Emma shrugged. “Haven’t had time to. I was talking to Regina and my parents and I wanted to see you. I’ll change before I see Henry, though. He doesn’t need to see anything else damaging today.”

“He saw?” Killian asked quietly, so quiet that Emma almost hadn’t heard it.

Emma nodded subtly and Killian sighed, leaning his head back against his pillow as he stared at the ceiling.

“Be prepared for some kind of tackle when he sees you,” Emma told Killian, trying to make light of the situation.

Killian smiled wryly as he met Emma’s eyes. “How am I alive, Swan?”

Emma chewed on the inside of her cheek. “We’ll talk about it when you’re out of here tomorrow. It’s complicated.”

“True love isn’t complicated, Emma,” Killian said softly and Emma smiled at him, genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.

“It is when it’s with the Savior,” Emma replied and Killian smiled back.

“How about we make it uncomplicated?” Killian asked with a raised eyebrow and a wink.

Emma laughed loudly in the empty room, her hand tightening around Killian’s. She looked back at him and he was still smiling. Emma could get used to that genuine, boyish smile.

“You see these machines?” Emma asked him and Killian nodded. Emma pointed to the machine that was connected to the monitor on his right index finger. “This one monitors your heart. If your heart rate raises, you’re gonna freak everybody out and make them think something is wrong.”

Killian smirked and Emma rolled her eyes at him. “I can handle myself, Swan.”

“Bull shit,” Emma replied bluntly.

“Perhaps, you couldn’t handle it, love,” Killian taunted her, recalling back to Neverland at their first kiss. The kiss that Emma honestly couldn’t stop thinking about.

Emma looked at Killian with a hooded gaze and Killian gulped at seeing her eyes darken. Emma removed her hand from Killian’s and traced her fingers up Killian’s thigh. As she got closer and closer to Killian’s sword, as he so aptly put it at Lake Nostos, she could hear his heart rate slowly raise. Once she landed her hand at the very inner of his thigh, the monitor was beeping quickly and she winked at Killian as his eyes began to roll back into his head. Emma removed her hand as she laughed at him.

“Told you,” Emma said to her one true love as she stood from the bed.

“Bloody minx,” Killian mumbled.

Emma laughed as she walked over to him and pressed her lips against his, softly but with all of the power in the world. Even from the small kiss, the monitor began beeping rapidly again and Killian groaned as he let his head fall back onto his pillow.

“Henry should be here soon,” Emma warned Killian as she stood back up. “Mary grabbed me some clothes from my room at Granny’s, so I’m going to change. But, I’ll be back in here for when Henry comes, okay?”

Killian nodded and gulped. “Alright, love.”

Emma could clearly see that Killian was nervous about seeing Henry. Killian had basically already adopted him as his own son and was obviously very fond of Henry. Emma knew that Killian would have just as much of a reaction to seeing Henry as Henry would to seeing an alive and well Killian.

Emma took only a few minutes to change into her favorite jeans, a white t-shirt and her red leather jacket. She tossed the Fairytale Land clothes into the trash in the bathroom and she exited quickly. Just as she left the bathroom, Henry was walking down the hallway, toward Killian’s room. Henry broke into a smile and ran to his mother. Emma kneeled and wrapped her arms tightly around Henry’s waist as Henry wrapped his arms around her neck. Emma kissed his cheek and took in a deep smell of his hair. It was only maybe a half hour here, but Emma was in the Enchanted Forest for a few days and she missed that smell.

“Is he okay?” Henry asked quickly, as soon as he let go of Emma.

Emma nodded and placed her hands on his shoulders. “Yeah. Even though he’s completely fine, don’t attack him. It’s been a really long day.”

Emma placed her arm around Henry’s shoulder as he nodded and led him over to Killian’s room, past the waiting room where Regina, Robin, Mary and David were still sitting. Before entering the room, Emma ran her hand over Henry’s hair and took a deep breath. Henry opened the door and saw Killian lying in bed, then practically darted over to the bed. It wasn’t until Killian welcomed him with open arms that Emma heard Henry crying. Emma walked over to Killian and Henry and saw the tears that Killian had shed while Henry laid over his chest. Emma kissed Killian fully on the lips again and hugged her family tightly, never wanting to let them go.

And there she realized: she was finally  _home_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma took another deep breath and looked back into those eyes. “But, I need to know that you won’t leave me like everybody else has. That you won’t abandon me.”
> 
> Killian took a step forward, palming his hand against her cheek again. “Emma, I will always come back to you. I will always stay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I did a second chapter, and this is rated M for sexy times. This is my first time writing sex PERIOD so please let me know how I did. I'm honestly self-conscious about how it turned out. I don't know if I'll do a third chapter or not. If I do, it would basically just be wrapping things up, I think. But, please review!
> 
> And if you are interested, I have an OUAT blog on tumblr! It's called Weirdly Sexy Hook and if you are interested, PLEASE follow :)

“We’re exhausted, David,” Emma complained to her father. “Honestly, we just want to sleep.”

“Emma, not everybody comes back from the dead,” David replied as he folded Daniel’s onesies as they sat in her parents’ apartment. “This is something to truly celebrate.”

Emma blushed at the thought that _she_ had brought Killian back. That she loved him _so_ much that she literally brought him back from the dead. Even though it should be just that simple, it really wasn’t. Nothing was that simple for Emma. She loved him and she damn well knew that he loved her, but it didn’t necessarily mean that he wouldn’t abandon her like everybody else had in her life.

Even after everything Killian had done for her (he had _died_ for her, for fuck’s sake), Emma was still terrified of letting him in all of the way.

“Plus, it isn’t my fault he hasn’t gotten any sleep,” David told Emma with a smirk playing at his lips. “You were the one who kept him up all damn night.”

“Can you blame me?” Emma asked, resituating herself on the couch to face her father. “He _died_. For a solid minute, he was gone. I’m pretty sure you would’ve done the same if you thought you would never be able to talk to Snow again. So, don’t try to make me feel bad.”

“I’m not trying to do that,” David responded, placing the last onesie in the laundry basket at his feet. “But at least you’re letting him sleep now. This is the first time you left the hospital since yesterday.”

Emma sighed and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I know. I just didn’t want to. I only came because you practically forced me to come here.”

David looked up at his daughter, taken away at the beauty she became, and smiled. “I know. You’ll see him tonight. You should get some sleep before the party. God knows how long it’s going to last.”

“But, he’s getting discharged today,” Emma said, shaking her head. “I have to be there.”

David waved his hand at Emma, dismissing her worry. “I got it. I want you to just take some time apart today until the party. And try to dress nicely. Make him shocked when he sees you. I want people to see that you’re actually happy together.”

Emma raised her eyebrows. “If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you’re trying to make this really happen between us.”

David laughed as he raised himself from the couch, grabbing the laundry basket from the ground. “Emma, even before you two left for the Enchanted Forest, he was in love with you. Maybe you should just give it a shot.”

Emma furrowed her eyebrows as she continued to sit on the couch and she watched her father take the basket over to his bedroom. “I thought you didn’t necessarily like him?”

David shrugged as he put the onesies into the small dresser beside the crib in the bedroom. “Things change, Emma. In Neverland, I couldn’t stand him. But that was more because of the dreamshade in me. He’s an honorable man, even though he doesn’t quite see it. And well, I would have to be blind to not see the way he looks at you.”

Emma began to blush again and she looked down at her folded hands in her crisscrossed lap. “So, I take it that this is your blessing, or whatever?”

David chuckled and looked over his shoulder at Emma. “Yes, this is.”

<> 

Emma woke up in a cold sweat, sitting up in her bed at Granny’s. And she let out a loud sob as she covered her mouth. The sight of seeing Killian’s dead body was burned into her mind and it would haunt her every thought and dream, just as it had done during Emma’s five hour nap (was that even a nap?). Emma tried to get herself to take a deep breath, but the sob choked her and she couldn’t stop herself from crying.

She almost _lost him_. She felt him stop breathing. She saw the life leave his eyes. She saw that last smile still weakly stuck on his face. Emma wanted to forget _everything_ about that moment yesterday, but she knew she never would be able to. Seeing Killian like that had been the one of the scariest things in her entire life, not too far behind when she thought Henry was dead all those years ago. Another sob broke through her as she thought that she had almost lost her _home_ and that was something she knew she would’ve _never found again._

There were two knocks at the door and Emma could hear David speak from the other side of the door. “Emma? You awake?”

Emma voice broke as she called back, “Dad?”

It wasn’t even a second later that David came walking through the door and swiftly shut it behind him as he hurried over to his daughter. He wrapped the sobbing girl tightly in his arms as he sat beside her on the bed, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. David was never able to be there for his daughter, but this was his time to finally be there for her while she cried.

“What’s wrong?” David asked her urgently, genuinely worried for Emma. He knew it had been a rough two days for her and he was afraid that she had just _broke._

Emma tried to respond, but she couldn’t regain her breath enough to speak, the sobs continuing to break through. So, David continued to sit there with his daughter, rubbing her back in assurance that everything was okay and that everything _will_ be okay. He could feel her tears soaking into the thin button-down he was wearing, but David couldn’t find a reason to care. This was all he wanted-being able to help Emma with whatever she needed-and he didn’t care what that cost him, especially if it was a stupid shirt.

Emma took a deep breath and looked up at her father, her jade eyes still bloodshot with unshed tears. “Is K-Killian o-okay?”

David nodded immediately and kissed her forehead. “He’s okay. He’s great. He’s at the apartment right now with your mother and Henry.”

Emma let out a deep breath in relief. “Thank God.”

“You had a nightmare, didn’t you?” David asked, his lips still against her forehead.

Emma nodded against the lips and let out another deep breath. “Yeah.”

David tightened his arms around her and let her head rest on his shoulder. David wanted to take away his daughter’s worries, but he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She had seen her true love die. Even though he’s alive and well, that’s not a memory easily forgotten.

“I still have those nightmares, seeing your mom under the sleeping curse,” David confessed to Emma and she shifted closer to him. “That’s not nearly as bad as what you went through, but it does the same thing to me.”

“That scares me, Dad,” Emma told her father, not even bothering to call him by his first name anymore. She was home and she had finally accepted David as her father.

David smiled at Emma’s use of the word ‘dad.’ He could get used to it. “Why?”

“Because,” Emma began saying, but her chin began to quiver again with tears that were threatening to spill over. Emma took a deep breath and continued. “Because I’m afraid that he’ll leave, just like everybody else.”

David opened his mouth to respond, even it hurt him to know that Emma felt that way, but Emma raised her hand to stop him. “I know I shouldn’t be talking to you about this because, well, to be completely honest, you and Snow are part of the reason for me fearing this. But, I just don’t know who to talk to about this other than the man who basically invented true love.”

David smiled wryly at his daughter, who was just looking up at him and for a moment, he saw her as just a seventeen-year-old girl, asking him about what to do with her first boyfriend. “Well, since you and Hook came back, I’ve been remembering a few things.”

Emma chuckled and looked away when David gave her a look and it made David smile. “I remember a certain Prince Charles asking me to help save ‘his princess.’”

Emma looked back at her father with surprised eyes. _His princess_?

“Before we got to saving this Princess Leia”-David gave her another look, to which Emma laughed at-“Prince Charles told me about how he had once believed true love didn’t exist, up until he had met the right person. How he would go to the ends of the world, or time, for this Princess Leia.”

Emma nibbled on her lip and looked down at her folded hands in her lap.

David continued on with a smile. “Truth be told, it was Prince Charles who convinced me that true love existed. Until then, I thought I would marry because of business. But, with what Prince Charles said, I was open to the idea of true love and I found her in your mother.” David placed his fingers under Emma’s chin and forced her to look at him. He met her eyes, which were beginning to tear up again. “Killian _loves_ you. I told you this earlier, but he’s loved you since before your little trip. Hell, I’m pretty sure he loved you since Neverland. Don’t let your fear paralyze you, Emma.”

David kissed his daughter on the forehead, hearing her sniffling from the tears that had been threatening to spill over. “You found your home, now let yourself be his.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, wiping away a lone tear that made its way onto her cheek. She looked up at her father, who was smiling at her, and shoved his shoulder, leading him to begin laughing. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“I’m just proud of my daughter,” David replied and kissed her cheek. “Now, I’ve gotta head back downstairs to oversee the decorations.” Emma groaned loudly and David laughed. “Come on now, Emma. This is a celebration. Take a shower. The party starts in an hour and a half.”

Emma sighed and rubbed her tired-again eyes. “Fine.”

“You’ll get to see your _true love_ ,” David teased Emma and she flipped the bird at him, causing him to begin laughing. “Fine, be that way. Remember what I said, though. Dress nicely.”

David exited the room and Emma plopped back on her bed, staring at the elaborate drawings on the ceiling. Emma took another deep breath, letting her mind forget about the memories of her nightmare-where she lost Killian again and he just _wouldn’t come back_ -trying to relax for what was going to be an annoying party. But then, she remembered that she would be seeing a healthy Killian and that made her dart out of bed to take a shower to wash away the past two days.

Emma stepped into the warm water and let it hit her back. She spent almost ten minutes in that shower (which was a long time for Emma), washing away the awful memories of thinking that she lost Killian because _he was dead but she brought him back._ She wanted to stop thinking of the blankness in his eyes, the oozing of the blood from his wound, the smile that had stuck on his face, but _she just couldn’t_. That sight would be permanently burned into her mind and it would haunt her during her every dream. But, Emma hoped- _just hoped_ -that Killian would be able to keep the nightmares away.

<> 

Emma trailed her finger down the cheek of Daniel, who cooed in response as she held him in her arms. She smiled down at her baby brother, hoping that he didn’t decide to spit up on her cerulean, button-down blouse. She decided to take David’s advice-which she honestly felt probably came more from her mother-and try to at least look presentable at the celebration. After all, she was going to be seeing Killian again, even if it had only been six hours since she had seen him. But that entire time, she was nervous, _waiting_ for the call from Henry or David or whoever that Killian was dead and that there was nothing she could do. She was waiting for the second shoe to drop, just as it always fucking did.

And that won’t change until she saw Killian walk through that door and have him safe in her arms.

She hated that David came up with the idea of keeping her and Killian apart today, when only yesterday she thought that she would never see him again. But, when Emma saw Killian that night, it would feel fantastic and _perfect_. She looked at the little bundle in her arms and found herself excited for whatever the future could hold between her and Killian. If only she could get past her fear of not being good enough for him.

“David said that him, Henry and Hook will be here soon,” Snow said from across the table, smiling at her two children.

Emma nodded, not showing her face to her mother because Emma knew that Snow would comment on how Emma was blushing. “Good. Hopefully this party doesn’t go on too long.”

“Do you want to spend some alone time with Hook?” Snow asked straightforwardly, taking Emma by surprise. Emma looked up at her mother with wide eyes as she continued to hold her younger brother. “Emma, I was there when you two came back. I saw what happened. Most of the town saw. I’m not blind.”

“You don’t sound particularly eager about it,” Emma observed, keeping her voice level as she looked at her mother from across the booth.

Snow shook her head. “No, you misunderstood me. I’m very happy for you. Everybody deserves a happy ending, Emma. Especially my own daughter and her pirate.”

Emma chuckled under her breath and met her mother’s caring eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

Emma could see the tears pricking Snow’s eyes at Emma calling Snow ‘mom.’ Emma smiled at her mother and Snow stroked her hand over Emma’s arm.

“I’ll take him back now,” Snow told Emma as Snow stood from the booth. “They should be here any minute.”

Emma stood and handed her younger brother back to her mother, smoothing her hands over her black pencil skirt. Emma took a deep breath and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, just as the door chimed. Emma looked past her mother, who had returned to her seat at the booth, and saw David and Henry walk in. Before Emma began to panic (but really, who would’ve _not_ called her if something happened to Killian?), she saw her true love step through the door in unfamiliar clothing that honestly made Emma lose her breath.

Gone were his familiar leathers, the leathers that Emma had become so fond of and had honestly fantasized about (not that she would admit that to anybody _ever_ ). He was wearing straight-leg jeans, the kind that made his legs look beyond fantastic, and a button-down, deep blue shirt (that obviously had the top three buttons unbuttoned because that man _clearly_ had no idea how to button a shirt all of the way) that made Emma weak in the knees. The black pea coat he was wearing over his outfit was unbuttoned, showing off the figure under the coat, and Emma kept her jaw from dropping.

Killian’s eyes fell on Emma and he didn’t even waste a second before crossing the room to the far corner where Emma stood and taking her into his arms. Emma wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms went around her waist tightly and the diner fell silent, every patron cementing their eyes on the new couple before them. Emma smelled in that scent of Killian’s that always seemed to calm her and Emma could feel Killian do the same thing.

Emma smiled as she pressed her mouth to his ear. “What’s with the new clothes?”

Killian chuckles against her ear. “Well, seeing as I was brought back from the dead, that I should turn over a new leaf. Maybe try and become accustomed to this realm’s fashion, no matter how bloody strange it is.”

Emma laughed and pulled her head back to look at her handsome pirate. “Still have the leathers?”

Killian raised an eyebrow. “Have a special fancy for the leathers, love?”

Emma began to blush. “I have a special fancy for you, Killian.”

Emma saw the beauty of his eyes staring at her and Emma molded her lips against his. Unlike the last kiss they shared, this one was slow and passionate, but still full of fire and desire. Since they were in a diner full of people, Emma was able to somehow keep herself from going too deep into the kiss, but it still left her breathless when their lips parted.

“Come on, Mom,” Emma could hear Henry call to her from by the front door.

Emma looked past Killian and saw her son standing by his grandfather. “Come here, kid.”

Henry smiled as he walked his teenage self over to Emma, where Emma held out her arms to him. He reached her and Emma put her arm over his shoulder. Before she could even ask Killian to open his arms, Killian wrapped his hooked arm around Henry’s shoulder. Her heart warmed at the sight of Henry looking up at the man who became his father figure. Killian kissed Emma’s forehead and brought Henry into the hug, tightening his arms around both Emma and Henry.

And that’s when Emma thought about what her father had said: _you found your home, now let yourself become his._

Emma put her mouth against Killian’s ear, seeing the goose bumps that raised in its wake. “We need to talk later.”

Killian looked back at her and nodded with a thin smile on his lips. She knew that Killian was probably thinking that Emma didn’t want to go through with them being together. But, it wasn’t like that. She just had to talk to him about how goddamn _afraid_ she was about being with him. She knew it was going to be a hard and probably complicated conversation, but it had to be done.

“Alright everyone,” David announced to the crowded diner, taking the attention away from Emma’s moment, which she was grateful for. “Time to stop ogling. Let’s eat!”

Killian laughed in Emma’s ear and pressed a kiss to the skin just under her ear, sending flames throughout her. Emma didn’t know if she could last through this party _and_ a conversation that was definitely going to expose a whole lot of emotions without jumping this newly changed Killian. Something about his button-down shirt made Emma want to rip it off of him, but she _did_ have at least a little bit of self-control.

But it was only an hour or so later when Emma felt that she couldn’t prolong the eventual conversation. So, she tugged on Killian’s hand-which she had _refused_ to let go of the entire evening-and told him with her eyes that it was time for them to talk. Killian nodded sullenly as he bid farewell to Emma’s parents. Emma met eyes with David, who nodded to her. David knew what Emma was going to do and dammit, he was proud of his daughter.

Emma slowly led Killian up to where the bedrooms of the bed and breakfast laid, ignoring the stares and catcalls from the people in the diner. She _really_ didn’t want Henry to hear the yells, but Emma was sure that David would explain to him what was going on. Emma hesitantly unlocked her bedroom door with the old-fashioned key that came with the rooms and swung the door open, leading Killian inside. Emma tried to ignore how the tension intensified the moment that the door closed behind Killian, but she could _feel_ it.

“Emma,” Killian said to her and Emma’s heart began to pound. She felt Killian’s hand on her upper arm and she wanted to lean into it, to forget everything that she had to talk to him about. But, dammit she couldn’t. They needed to talk. Emma allowed Killian to turn her around to face him, where she was struck by how _goddamn beautiful_ this man was in the dark of the room. “Love, what is it?”

Emma took a deep breath and stared into those beautiful eyes, those eyes that were as blue as the sea after a storm. She knew that she had to talk about this and there was no better time than the present. “I’m scared.”

“About what?” Killian asked sincerely, his eyes softening at the pure fear in her voice, talking ahold of her hand.

“About _this_ ,” Emma replied, motioning her free hand between the two of them. “You don’t know half of the shit I’ve been through and I’m just-”

“Emma, we can take it slow,” Killian interrupted her, his eyes staring into Emma’s soul. “We don’t have to immediately jump into this.”

“But I want to, Killian,” Emma confessed and she sighed, pushing her hair back from her forehead. She took in Killian’s understanding face and she almost lost her self-control, but she regained her thoughts. “I want to go quickly. We know what we are, so I don’t want to go slowly.”

“Then what is it, love?” Killian asked, pleading with Emma to just tell him what she was thinking. It was killing Killian that he couldn’t read her, unlike every other time he saw her.

“I’m afraid that you’re gonna stop loving me one day,” Emma professed to her love, unable to even look him in the eye. “I’m afraid that one day, you’re going to leave me and Henry behind, just like everybody has.”

Emma _refused_ to look up at Killian, given what she just told him. She didn’t want to see the look in his eyes as he realized she wasn’t worth it. That she had never been worth it. That he should just leave her now and make it easier.

“Look at me,” Killian said to Emma in a low tone. Emma shook her head as she squeezed her eyes shut with a tear slipping out (God, hadn’t she cried enough today?). “Bloody hell, Emma, _look at me_.”

Emma took a deep breath and slowly looked up at him, surprised at the pleading eyes that he was giving her. Killian noticed the tears streaming from her eyes and he took his hand from hers to wipe away the tears, just as he did in the Enchanted Forest.

“Emma, if you truly think I would _ever_ do that to you, then you don’t know me at all,” Killian told her as he held his hand against her cheek.

Emma leaned into the touch, reveling in the feeling of his callused hand against her face. “I know you wouldn’t. But-”

“You clearly don’t know that I wouldn’t,” Killian interrupted again and let his hand drop, urging her to look at him again, since she had glanced away for a moment from his gaze. “Emma, I’ve followed you _everywhere._ I’ve followed you across realms _multiple_ times and you still think I could do that to you? Love, I know you’ve been hurt before, but you need to _trust_ me.”

_Try something new, darling. It’s called trust._

That line, which seemed to be from another time, echoed in Emma’s mind. She _did_ trust Killian: she trusted him in Neverland to save Henry, she trusted him when he came to get her in New York, she trusted him in the Enchanted Forest (the second time; the first time didn’t exactly leave them in a good place with each other) and she had trusted him with her heart when she gave him True Love’s kiss to save him from dying in the Enchanted Forest. He had never done _anything_ to tell her not to trust him (except when he kinda kidnapped Henry, but she had done that before so she couldn’t pass judgment). She knew that she irrevocably loved him, but she was terrified of really letting him in.

Emma nodded and looked down. “I do trust you. You know that.” Emma took another deep breath and looked back into those eyes. “But, I need to know that you won’t leave me like everybody else has. That you won’t abandon me.”

Killian took a step forward, palming his hand against her cheek again. “Emma, I will always come back to you. I will always stay.”

And she _knew_ that was the truth. He fucking came back from the _dead_ to her, for her. Sure, Emma was the one who kinda did that, but he still _came back_. He always came back. He came back when he drowned and he came back when he legitimately died. He was always there and Emma was being so _stupid_ , thinking that he would leave her. He never left her. And Emma knew in that moment that he would never leave her. Not if he had any say in the matter.

“Emma, say something,” Killian said, panic lacing into his voice.

Emma looked at him with a new light in her eyes, something that Killian had definitely noticed and smiled at. “You always come back. You’re _always_ there.”

Killian smiled, a boyish, heartwarming grin. “I will always be there, love. Until the day comes that you decide that you don’t want me anymore, I will always be there.”

Emma shook her head with a smile spreading on her lips. “Sorry to disappoint, but that day will never come, Killian.”

Killian smiled even wider as Emma took a step toward him. “I will never be disappointed with you, Emma Swan. I will never tire of you. I am yours and will always be yours.”

And with that, Emma grabbed the lapels of Killian’s coat and pulled him into her, pressing her lips against his. Killian groaned from the back of his throat and wrapped his hand tightly into her hair, just as he did in Neverland. Emma forced his lips apart and traced her tongue along his bottom lip, to which Killian moaned loudly into the empty room. Killian, in response, slowly stuck his tongue into Emma’s mouth, tracing along her teeth and tasting her everything. Emma had obviously kissed before (she had a _kid_ , for fuck’s sake) but goddamn, she was never this _aroused._

Emma forced the coat off of Killian, making Killian unwrap his hand from Emma’s hair. She missed the warmth of his hand on her, but as quickly as it was gone, it was back. Emma gripped Killian’s upper arms, feeling that his shirt had been rolled up to his elbows, and she almost tore at the buttons to rip it off. Emma knew that Killian didn’t know how unbelievably attractive she finds button-down shirts rolled up to their elbows on guys, but dammit he was going to find out.

“Slow down, love,” Killian teased Emma as she reached the final button of his shirt, feeling the smirk against her lips. “I think your parents are having Henry stay the night at their place, so we have all night.”

Emma giggled (ew, why did she giggle?) against his lips. “I just need your shirt off, okay?”

Killian’s smirk spread wider as he leaned his head back to look at a deeply blushed Emma, quirking his eyebrow up (which did _unspeakable_ things to Emma). “Why?”

Emma sighed. “It’s stupid.”

“I doubt it, love,” Killian responded, that stupid smirk still on his face.

Emma sighed again and brushed her hair from her face. “Who rolled up your sleeves?”

“Your mother,” Killian responded dumbly, not seeing the point to the question. “I can’t exactly do it myself.”

“I’m gonna have to thank her later,” Emma whispered breathlessly as she pulled Killian back to her lips.

Killian stripped himself of his shirt, then wrapped his arms around Emma’s waist, pulling her close to him. Emma gripped his hair tightly at the nape of his neck with both hands and pulled him closer to her, not leaving room for Jesus. Killian nipped at Emma’s bottom lip and she let out an embarrassingly loud moan. Killian didn’t mind it-obviously-and deepened the kiss when she parted her lips. There was sucking as Emma tried to taste Killian and as Killian tried to do the same with her. Emma wanted to push herself closer to Killian, but that was physically impossible.

Killian unwrapped his good arm from around Emma and Emma nearly whimpered at the loss of him, but Emma changed the whimper into a moan as he began to unbutton her chiffon top, his fingers moving quickly through the buttons.

“You’re good with your fingers,” Emma commented with a glint in her eyes.

Killian’s eyes matched hers as he undid the last button. “You have _no_ idea, Swan.”

Emma laughed against Killian’s mouth as he kissed her again and helped her shed her shirt. And for a moment, Killian stepped back to admire the view of Emma, even though she was still wearing her bra and her skirt and her heels (God, her feet were _killing her_ ). Emma stepped out of her heels and met Killian’s hungry gaze. She nearly lost her breath at the lust that she could almost _feel_ coming from Killian’s eyes.

“You’re beautiful, Emma,” Killian whispered like he had just seen God.

Emma blushed deeply, because _of course_ she was staring at the perfect man standing before her with his dark chest hair and his slender body, marred with scars from his three hundred years. “You aren’t too bad yourself, pirate.”

Killian smirked and gathered Emma in his arms again, twisting her to the right and walking her backward over to the bed. The bed met the back of Emma’s legs and she ungracefully plopped down, drunk on Killian. Killian met Emma’s lips again, running his tongue across Emma’s bottom lip. She moaned into his mouth, which made Killian deepen the kiss and pull her face closer to him, his good hand wrapped at the nape of her neck. Emma reached for the button of Killian’s jeans and quickly forced the jeans off of him, to which Killian gingerly stepped out of the pants while continuing to kiss Emma.

Emma traced her fingers along the boxer briefs that Killian was wearing and smiled against his lips. “When’d you get the new clothes?”

“After I was discharged,” Killian said simply, slightly stilling at the memory of him nearly being dead. “It was your mother’s treat. But these underwear are bloody uncomfortable. I don’t know how you people deal with it.”

“I’m _really_ gonna have to thank her,” Emma responded against his mouth as he nudged her further up the bed.

Killian followed Emma onto the queen-sized bed, hovering over her on his hands and knees. For a minute, he pulled away to unclick the hook from his brace, but he returned with even more fervor than before. All Killian could think of was how this was _finally_ happening-his dreams coming true at last. Killian stood up from the bed and before Emma could protest, he met her eyes and slowly tugged off the skirt, exposing her skin and curves. When he finally got the skirt to drop to the floor, Killian stood there, his arousal _very_ prominent in his briefs, and stared at the sight before him. Emma thanked God that she wore matching underwear for once in her life as his gaze fell on her breasts, which were covered by a black, lacy bra.

“You’re a bloody siren,” Killian said as he crawled back over Emma and held himself over her.

“Is that necessarily a good thing?” Emma asked as she kissed Killian softly. “I mean, that means that I trick you into drowning.”

“Emma, if you were a true siren, I would gladly drown for you,” Killian whispered against Emma’s lips.

Emma moved her hands from Killian’s hair to his back, trying to get him to slowly lower himself on top of Emma. And as soon as he lined his body against hers, Emma could feel his hardness against her, which made things _very_ difficult. Emma tried to reach down to release Killian’s growth from his underwear, but he moved an inch away from her hands. Emma looked up at Killian, who was looking at her like she was _everything_.

“You first, love,” Killian whispered against her lips and Emma felt weak- _so, so weak_.

Killian laid himself to the side of Emma and trailed his fingers down Emma’s stomach, causing Emma to lose her breath. Killian nudged Emma’s head to the side and began kissing and sucking on her neck, causing Emma to _seriously_ have problems and _Jesus_ she needed him now.

“Is this fine, love?” Killian asked genuinely, continuing to kiss her neck.

Emma gulped and nodded. “God, yes.”

Killian chuckled against her neck as his fingers found their way under Emma’s underwear, where he was met with wetness that could trump the sea. He groaned into Emma’s neck and gingerly slipped one finger inside of her, pumping his finger in her slick folds. Emma gasped and he began to move his finger faster against her, then used his thumb to stimulate her little bud. It wasn’t even a minute before Emma was writhing on the bed, just waiting for her release to come. Killian slowly inserted a second finger inside of Emma and she moaned loudly into the empty room, making Killian harder than he had _ever_ been before.

“Getting close, Swan?” Killian asked, looking at his true love’s face.

Emma couldn’t even speak, so she just merely nodded. Killian smiled widely and with his now hookless arm, he put his arm underneath Emma’s head and pulled her into a kiss. Killian took his fingers from inside Emma and began rubbing her furiously, chasing her release. Emma began moaning into Killian’s mouth as she felt her insides clench, telling her that the climax was near.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God,” Emma gasped out against Killian’s lips. “Killian, don’t stop.”

“Don’t plan to, love,” Killian whispered back.

And in just two more motions of his fingers against her clit, Emma was writhing and gasping soundlessly, her orgasm hitting her hard and quickly. It seemed to be minutes before Emma came back to Earth, grounded back in the hotel room with her pirate. Emma tried to regain her breath as she met Killian’s lusty gaze. She knew that he was hard as a rock, since she could feel it against her leg, and that seemed to make her recover from her climax.

Emma quickly flipped over and reached for her wallet that was sitting on top of the nightstand by her bed, becoming distracted by the lazy kisses that Killian was planting on her back. Before she decided to just jump him and say ‘fuck it’ to any type of consequences (of the pregnancy kind), she found the condom that she kept in her wallet, fresh from when she left New York City with Killian (because hey, she wanted to be prepared in case anything was going to happen). Emma flipped back over to meet Killian, holding the condom up to his face.

Killian’s eyebrows furrowed. “What the bloody hell is that?”

“It’s called a condom,” Emma explained, her voice suddenly weak since she now has to explain to him what it does. “It-well-it goes over your…ahem…penis during sex to prevent pregnancy.”

Killian’s eyebrows raised. “How interesting.”

“Well, I’m not exactly prepared for another kid, at the moment,” Emma told Killian honestly. “So, if we do this, we wear this.”

Killian gulped and asked quietly, “Do you want to do this?”

Emma flipped to her side, facing Killian head on. “Killian, I almost lost you yesterday. For the longest minute in my life, I thought you were gone.” Emma felt her voice grow thick and Killian stroked her cheek with his hand. “During that minute, my life was over. The chance I had at a home was gone and my heart was broken. I had lost my _true love_ and I felt like there was nothing for me. But somehow, you miraculously came back to life and I have to take that as a sign. I have to take advantage of this second chance. I want to do this not only because I know it will feel fantastic”-Killian smirked at that-“but it’ll feel perfect and I’ll finally know that I’m _home_.”

Killian pulled Emma in for a soft, but passionate kiss, much like the one they had in Granny’s. Killian wiped away a tear that Emma didn’t know had escaped and kissed her cheek.

“Your word is my command, Emma,” Killian whispered against her lips and took the condom from her hand. He looked at the wrapper and furrowed his eyebrows. “Actually, you may need to help me, love.”

Emma laughed and sat up on the bed, taking the wrapper from Killian’s hand. She kneeled beside Killian and tugged on his underwear, which allowed Killian’s erection to spring free. Emma stared it at dumbly, kind of marveling at how large it was (wow, she probably looked like this was her first time) and carefully ripped the wrapper off of the condom. But before Emma slid the condom over Killian’s shaft, Emma took Killian by surprised by taking him entirely in her mouth.

“Oh God, Emma,” Killian said simply. Emma looked up at his face as she bobbed her head up and down and saw Killian’s mouth completely open. Emma twirled her tongue around the shaft and Killian groaned. “Emma, I’m not going to last long at all if you keep doing that.”

“Well,” Emma said as she removed her mouth from Killian, “you _did_ say we have all night.”

“Emma, please,” Killian begged and Emma took that as a plea to slide the condom over his sensitive dick.

So, Emma did as he asked and Killian looked down, rather impressed at the invention. Emma looked up at him as she slowly stripped off her underwear and her bra, to which Killian just _stared_. Emma couldn’t even put words to the look in his eyes, but the best descriptor was hunger. Killian pulled Emma up to him and settled himself over her, his erection resting on the inside of her thigh, causing Emma to shiver in anticipation.

“You’re perfect, my love,” Killian whispered against her neck.

“Killian,” Emma whispered back, but the inflection made it sound more like a question. So, Killian looked back at her.

“Did you change your mind?” Killian asked, moving his body up to just hover over her. “If you don’t want to, it’s fine, Emma.”

Emma shook her head. “It’s not that.” Emma’s eyes darted over to the brace that Killian was still wearing. Killian gulped, knowing what she was asking. “Killian, I love you. It’s simple. I don’t care about the hook or that you’re missing a hand. I love you fully.”

Killian took a deep breath and sat back, resting on his knees. He reached to unbuckle the brace that crossed his chest and Emma noticed that he was shaking. He was terrified to show Emma the stump that lied underneath and Emma knew that it was probably for the same reason that Emma was afraid of letting him in: that she would see that he was a broken man and that she didn’t love him enough to deal with that. So Emma, in an effort to prove to him that she truly loved him, sat up and helped him take off the brace. Emma met Killian’s fearful gaze and slowly removed the brace from his arm. He shut his eyes because he was afraid of how Emma would react to seeing a stump, to seeing that he would never be fixed or whole again.

But, what happened next completely convinced Killian that Emma was in love with him.

He felt the press of lips against the stump and he opened his eyes. Emma was holding the stump to her lips and pressed another kiss against it. Killian let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding and pulled her to him again, leaving a searing kiss on her lips. Their mouths and tongues moved together as Emma leaned back down to lay on the bed and Killian situated himself over her, resting on his elbows just by her head.

“Are you sure you want this?” Killian asked again, to be sure.

Emma nodded and whispered against his lips, “I’ve never been surer about anything in my life, Killian. Other than the fact that _I love you_.”

Killian led his penis to hover by Emma’s entrance. The tip just brushed against the entrance and Emma moaned loudly, causing Killian to grow even harder (which Killian didn’t know was even possible at that point). Killian took a deep breath and pushed himself slowly inside of Emma, watching Emma arch below him as she took him in. He slowly, _sweetly,_ filled Emma up and she couldn’t have _enough_ of him inside of her.

“God, Emma,” Killian groaned from above her, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

It took Killian a moment to regain himself and he slowly moved inside of her, filing her deliciously with each movement. Emma grinded her hips against his and Killian gasped, telling her that she was doing something right. She continued to grind herself against him and Killian met her with just as much passion, kissing her deeply and tracing his tongue all over her, from her lips to her neck to her perfect breasts. Neither of them wanted this moment to end, it just being all too _perfect_. But soon, Killian began to shudder above her, telling Emma that he was nearing his own climax.

Emma grinded her hips against him again and she began to see stars behind her eyes. Killian gasped and continued to move, his hips jerking back and forth in uneven movements, chasing his own release.

“God, Emma,” Killian rasped her name and she had to admit, her name never sounded better than it had on his lips as he pushed himself to his finish.

“Please, Killian,” Emma whispered into his ear, nibbling on his earlobe. “Finish for me.”

Emma scratched her fingernails down Killian’s muscular back and grinded her hips against him again. With that movement, Killian stilled inside her and Emma could feel him pulsing inside of her, spilling his contents into the condom. Before Killian could move, Emma wrenched his beautiful head down to her lips and she kissed him, her tongue tracing the roof of his mouth and he groaned.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Swan,” Killian whispered to her as he remained inside of her.

Emma smiled at Killian. “The feeling’s mutual.”

Killian slowly pulled himself out, leaving Emma to gasp at the sudden emptiness, and he looked down at the now used condom. “That’s bloody disgusting.”

Emma laughed as she propped herself up on her elbows. “Well, that’s what you’re going to have to deal with until I decide I want more kids.”

Killian smiled at Emma. “But you do want more kids?”

Emma smiled at Killian and she felt herself blush. “Someday.”

Killian smiled even wider and looked back down. “What do I do with this, Swan?”

Emma laughed again, throwing her head back. “Toss it in the trashcan over there”-Emma pointed to over by the dresser-“and grab a tissue from on top of the dresser.”

Killian made a weird face as he rose from the bed and walked over to trashcan, leaving Emma a rather _great_ sight to see.

“If you wanted to stare at my ass, Swan, you needed only to ask,” Killian said from over his shoulder as he took a tissue from the box on the dresser.

Emma blushed and moved from the bed to grab her pajamas, which were in a pile on the floor beside the bed. “Shut up.”

Killian chuckled and turned around as Emma tossed him a pair of Henry’s shorts. Killian raised an eyebrow and Emma rolled her eyes.

“For you to sleep in,” Emma responded as she crawled back into her bed, pulling the comforter over her.

Killian quickly slipped on the basketball shorts (which looked _way_ too good on him, why the hell was he so goddamn attractive?) and found his way back into the bed. Killian pulled Emma over to him and she rested her chin on his shoulder. Killian kissed her forehead and Emma wanted to stay like this forever. Now Emma knew something for sure:

_She was truly home._

And when she woke up in the morning, wrapped in Killian's arms, she realized that she didn't have her nightmare.

And she didn't have them ever again.

Because she had Killian and he would always come back.


End file.
